Learning to use a winch, safely, suggestions?

[JAsh1967]

OK, beyond the obvious of getting stuck somewhere. Getting a bumper and winch installed in a bit over a month, and I'm the sort that will research and read and try to understand on a technical level what I'm about to do.

Winching is going to be no different. I've looked through the online "Winching 101" guide that also came with my winch, one of the things I'd like to do once everything is installed is actually get set up somewhere safe, not stuck, and USE the winch so I get a feel for how it works, how it behaves, how to properly setup items such as snatch blocks and tree savers and soft shackles.

Suggestions?

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[ALT2870]

Go out on a local trail? If you are looking for an experience that is close to the real thing as possible then go there.

 

[JAsh1967]

The only local place I could go is an ORV park, and at least from the areas the wife and I have driven through, there's no really chance to winch (it's a retired gravel pit.) I might have to either wait for the summer when I'm going up camping near a "seasonal road" that from what I've picked up elsewhere is largely "sandy" and just "pretend" to get stuck in some of the sandy spots and see about getting "unstuck."

 

[KQL]

Maybe keep your ears open for anyone that needs any bushes pulled out on their property, which is another great use for the winch.

 

[JAsh1967]

Maybe keep your ears open for anyone that needs any bushes pulled out on their property, which is another great use for the winch.

Last time someone needed that, I tried to do it with a 1973 Chevy Chevelle Malibu with a 350cid small block V8...

And my Dad ticked me off about it and I was lucky I didn't bust my car (and the bloody bush STILL didn't come out)

 

[Rusty PW]

Find yourself a good size tree or pole. Anchor to that. Leave the JT in N, pull up on the parking brake. Let the winch drag the Jeep to the tree. I have a pole beside the house I use for this.

 

[drewcnit]

I winched at the local public park to pretension the line and play with the controls in a controlled manner.
Found a section of parking lot near a ball field not being used and hooked up to the biggest tree I could find. Then pretensioned the line and played with the controls on the winch to make sure I understood basic operation.
Public parks are just that... Public and can be used by any citizen. Most they can do is tell you to pack it up and go somewhere else.

Then I watched way too much YouTube to learn what not to do... ?

Only slightly kidding on that last part, there's a ton out there that is bad to try and replicate on the trail but I can recommend most of the stuff by Ronny Dahl - Ronny Dahl YouTube query=winch

Start here -

 

[KQL]

Last time someone needed that, I tried to do it with a 1973 Chevy Chevelle Malibu with a 350cid small block V8...

And my Dad ticked me off about it and I was lucky I didn't bust my car (and the bloody bush STILL didn't come out)

For sure, one can write a “warning” about doing anything incorrectly, including yanking on your own pecker. To be clear: I mean do it right, when I suggested it.

 

[JAsh1967]

For sure, one can write a “warning” about doing anything incorrectly, including yanking on your own pecker. To be clear: I mean do it right, when I suggested it.

Oh I understood what you meant, I was just relating it back to when I was young, dumb, and...

Now, I'm older, maybe wiser, certainly older at least. LoL

 

[WILDHOBO]

Use a dampener. Most people are lazy and don’t use one. I ALWAYS do. It takes two seconds and will save you if/when something breaks. Keep yourself away from the winch line more than the length of the line. Technically with a dampener, you can be 50% closer if it’s in the middle. Avoid open recovery points if you can. Learn how soft shackles work, and have a couple on hand that exceed your pull strength. Remember that if you use a pulley/snatch block, you’re doubling your pull strength, if it’s doubling back. You get 40% more pull at a 90 degree angle with a pulley. Make sure your rigging exceeds that pull strength. If you are the anchor, put your transmission in neutral, engage the parking brake, and mash the brake pedal. There’s so much more, but if you like safety, which it sounds like you do, you’ll be fine.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I've hooked the winch from the jeep to the back of my ram and winched up the street to get pretension. I've also pulled a tree stump from the back yard with the winch. You could use it anywhere you can find a place to anchor to.

 

[Dougstdig]

Find yourself a good size tree or pole. Anchor to that. Leave the JT in N, pull up on the parking brake. Let the winch drag the Jeep to the tree. I have a pole beside the house I use for this.

OP...follow these steps, but I'll add a few.

1. Under all circumstances, keep your hands, gloved or not, away from the fairlead.

2. Wear gloves.

3. DO NOT USE THIS STEP WHEN WINCHING YOURSELF OR SOMEONE OUT!!!
***When setting the line (pre-use tensioning) have someone with you in the drivers seat, with the vehicle on, in neutral with the brakes applied. Stand in front of the vehicle and you run the winch controller. Assuming you have synthetic line stand 10-15 feet in front of the vehicle and which in the line after unspooling it down to 5-6 wraps. When winching in, use your hip or leg to help guide the line in a neat fashion. The closer together the wraps the better. do this back and forth across the spool. When you get to the last 10 feet or so, dislodge the attachment point from the tree or pole and walk it in.

4. Read the instructions that came with your winch. Please note, if you are using synthetic line, when at all possible, you don't want to be any further than 15 degrees from perpendicular to your pull point. Steel line with a roller fairlead is a bit different, but with synthetic line you want to stay within 15 degrees. If you can't, keep an eye on your spooled line and make sure it doesn't gather on one side or you'll damage the line and possibly the winch frame itself.

oh...and make sure when you attach the line to the tree or pole...using a tree strap, you do so as low as possible to ensure you don't pull the tree or pole on top of your vehicle!

There are plenty of videos of this on the internet.

 

[whiteglad]

Another vote for watching Ronny Dahl's videos. Also look for some good ones on steel vs, synthetic winch line.

 

[JAsh1967]

Having had a couple folks at "off-roading 101" workshops extoll the virtues of synthetic over steel, I made a point to get the winch with the synthetic line.

Right now, my "shopping list" of things to get before actually using the winch is:

• Line dampener
• Winch cover
• Gloves (although I've got a set of mechanics' gloves I'll use)
• Tree strap
• Another soft shackle (bought one to use in the event I had to break out the tow strap I bought)
• D-Rings for the bumper

Pretty sure I'm missing a few things, but at least from one of the videos I've watched this seems like a good start.

 

[Koolcarguy]

OK, beyond the obvious of getting stuck somewhere. Getting a bumper and winch installed in a bit over a month, and I'm the sort that will research and read and try to understand on a technical level what I'm about to do.

Winching is going to be no different. I've looked through the online "Winching 101" guide that also came with my winch, one of the things I'd like to do once everything is installed is actually get set up somewhere safe, not stuck, and USE the winch so I get a feel for how it works, how it behaves, how to properly setup items such as snatch blocks and tree savers and soft shackles.

Suggestions?

My suggestion is make a winch bag put in there gloves ,pliers , any winch accessories needed . I throw in a heavy towel not only to ckean up after but also to put on the winch line in case it breaks or comes undone I've seen to many guys loose a windshield and one guy with a concussion probably bevause they didn't secure properly or didn't do a check on there winch cable or rope. Winches are like insurance there useless until you need it. HAPPY NEW YEAR

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